Deep Ellum mural artists hope to create “mural capital of Southwest”

by Alexandra Olivia

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The Deep Ellum mural project will include three more phases and a lot more paint.

Photo by Alexandra Olivia

Kettle Art Gallery owner Frank Campagna reviews artists' work for the new phase.

DEEP ELLUM — Kettle Art Gallery hosted a meeting on Thursday night to lay out the big picture for the future of the Deep Ellum mural project.

The project follows last year's murals that were installed along Good-Latimer and in the art park under the overpass, with three more phases to go.

In the first of the next three phases of the project, 10 artists will be selected to paint the large, square pillars under the I-30 overpass to resemble trees on two sides, with the other two sides dedicated to the original art. The work will begin on September 11 and continue through the following week. The second phase will start in October along Crowdus between Canton and Elm streets. A third phase is yet to be announced.

About 30 artists came to hear the plans and to submit their work for review. Their excitement was infectious as groups spoke of the potential for Deep Ellum.

"The overall goal is to make Deep Ellum the mural capital of the Southwest," said Frank Campagna, owner of Kettle Art. "Philadelphia is the mural capital of the East Coast and Los Angeles is the mural capital of the West Coast. Deep Ellum is the obvious choice to be mural capital of the Southwest. We're already halfway there."

In the future, there will also be an iPhone app with a walkable tour and audio so that visitors can learn about the significance of each of the murals in Deep Ellum.